Shoe form



W. J. DE WITT Dec. '9, 1930.-

SHOE FORM Filed oct.l 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet.. 1

a' u'. l ullIIlL-rllll Dec.9, 1930.v w. J. DE WITT 1,734,661

SHOE FORM V A Filed oct. 24, 1929 2 Sheets-sheet 2 We' Z207 m 705:9Wovzegg/ Patented Dec. 9,

UNITED s'lATEs PATENT Ormel; f

i WILLIAM J. im wirr', or AUBURN, ,lviiiimronmv AssIGNo To SHOE rozar/Ioo., INC., or

AUBURN, NEW YORK, A oonromi'rIONv or New vom:y y y `SHOE FORM pplicationfiled loctober 24,1929. SerialfNo. 402,121,`v`

- rlhis invention relates `-to an improvement in shoe forms, and moreparticularly inshoe formscomprising a hollow toe member of resilientmaterial and a crossbar carried by the toe member, which crossbar ispivotally secured at one .end to one wall of the toe member and has asliding engagement atthe other end to'theother wallwhereby the pivotalmovementof the bar will cause the eX- pansion` or contraction ofthewalls of the toe member. In my copending application Serial No. 357,947,`filed April` 25, 1929, now Patent Number 1,740,157, granted Dec. 17,1929, is Vshownnone `type of shoe form embodying this invention, and thepresent application is an improvement upon the type shown in thatapplication.

The primaryrobject of this invention is to provide a shoe formcomprising a hollow toe member of resilient material and a crossbar withmeans whereby the position ofthe ycrossbar may be definitely set, ifdesired,vbefore the toe member -isinserted into the `shoe but being soconstructed that the position of the i ciossbai'may be `shifted afterthe toe member has been Vinserted in order to plump out the toe of theshoe to a condition which simulates that oi the shoe on the foot'of thewearer.

. A .further Object of the invention is to lprovide. .means whereby thewalls of the toe member may be expanded or contracted without thenecessity of unduly increasing thedistance. between the walls during theex* several shoe formsembodying this invention, with parts broken away YFig..7 is a sectional view takenalong the line 7-7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. Sis a sectional View taken 'alongth'e line 8-8 offFig. 2; l

, Fig. 9 is-asectional view taken along the line.9-9 of Fig. 3; 1 Y fFig. 10 is a sectional view taken along` the line 10-f10'of'Fig 5 and Yv -,Fig. 11 isa sectional view taken along the line 11.-*11ojlFig. 6. v`Each ofthese embodiments comprises hollow toe member 20 of resilientmaterial having side walls21 and 22 which terminate in ball ilangesdesignated as 23 and 24 respectively. Each of the iorms20 isprovidedwith a crossbafr. `25 pivotally securedpatthe -end 26 to the wall 21'ofthe toe member. `Ashere r illustrated the pivoted end or the orossbaris provided with Va loop which surrounds a rivet 27 fixed in the ange 23of the toe member.v The ianges 24 ineach embodiment are provided with anarcuate longitudinally'eX.- tending' slot 30 with which the .free'end ofthe crossbar 25 engages. ,The iianges 24 are alsoprovided with anarcuatelongitudinally extending series oi holes 31 preferably locatedintermediate the slot 30 and the rivet t 27, and adapted `to receive a.tongue which is integral with the crossbar and by which vthe positionof the crossbar is determined. The various embodiments differ in themanner Vof slidably connectingthe crossbar 25 to the ange 24 and in theformation of the tongue which'engages the holes 31.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 7 the slot 30 receives a rivet 35about which the free end of the crossbar is bent back upon itself toforma loop 35. rllhe crossbar terminates in a downwardly extendingtongue `37 which is 'so .formed that it ,may enter any one of theholes31.

1n the lembodiment shown in gS. 2 and 8 i the 'slot 30 receives'a rivet40 to which the :free end of the crossbar 25is secured by bendingftheYend of the bar back upon itself toform a loop 41. ,The free end ofthecrossu bar 25 terminates'in an upwardly projecting tongue 42 which mayenter any one ofthe holes 31 in the ange 24. A comparisono'f the figuresillustrating these two embodi ments will disclose the fact that in the,first down through the slot 30 below the flange g terminating in.tongue 46.

In the embodiment shown in-Fig. 4 the slot 3()V is provided with arivet50 and the free end of the crossbar is bentback upon itself toprovide a loop which surrounds the the upwardly projectingshank of therivet, the end portion 51 of the crossbar extending forwardly andterminating in a downwardly extending tongue v52 which may enter any oneofthe holes 3l".` It will be noted that in this embodiment the row ofholes 31 are spaced forwardly of the Slot 30.

` f In the embodiment shown in '.Figs. and 10 theslot 30 is providedwitha rivet 55 which isy secured tothe free-.end of the crossbar 25 byan integral loop 56'. Thecrossbar 25is bent intermediate the distancebetween its ends to form an integral downwardly projecting tongue 57which is adapted to enter any one of the holes 31.'- In the embodimentshown in Figs. 6 and 1l the slot 30 is provided with a rivet 60 to whichthe free end of the crossbar 25 is secured by a loop 61 formed bybendingthe end of the crossbar back upon itself. The end ofthe crossbarforms not only the loop 61 but is again bentforwardly to form a loop 62which passes around the edge of the flange 24 and terminates in anupwardly projecting tongue 63 which passes into any one of the holes 31.f

Due to the construction above described common to each of theseembodiments, the crossbar 25 is pivotally secured to the wall 21 bymeans of the rivet 26 passed through the flange 23. The other end of thecrossn bar lis slidably connected tothe wall 22 by the engagement of itsfree end with the slot 30. The crossbars 25 in each of these embodimentsis provided with an integral projecting tongue which enters one of theholes 3l formed in the flange 24. The pivotal movement of the crossbarupon the rivet'26 causes, by reason of its engagement with the slot 30,the expansion or contraction Vof the walls of the toe member. Suchexpansion or contraction is a gradual movement and does not necessitateany sudden undue increase in the width of the toe member. The row ofholes 3l vin each of these embodiments is `engaged by the projectingtongue of the cross-- bar so that the walls of the toe member are heldat the desired distance apart.

The engagement of the tongue with the holes 31 provides a positiveengagement which will not be Vdisturbed by the handling v of the shoeprovided with this toe member. Moreover, the positive engagement of thetongue and the holes permits that, if desired, the toefmember may besetbefore insertion in the shoe or may be withdrawn from the shoe withoutdisturbance of the adjustment ofthe walls of the toe member.

e While certain embodiments of this invention have been shownanddescribed, I am not limited thereto, since' other embodiments could bemade without departing from the spirit-'and scope of the invention asset forth in the following claims.

. l. A shoe form comprisinga hollow toe member of resilient material,the walls thereof being flanged, a. crossbar pivotally attached'at oneend to the flange of onewall, the flange of the other wall having-anarcuate'longitudinally extending slot and an arcuate longitudinallyextending series of holes, the slotv forming a guide for the .free endof the bar whereby upon the pivotal movement of the crossbar 'the freevendk thereof moves relative'to the slot'and the walls of the toe memberare expanded or contracted, and aton'gue carried vby the crossbar foryengaging one of the holes and thereby holding the crossbar againstlsuch pivotal movement.

' 2. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe member of resilient material,the walls thereof being flanged, a crossbar p ivotally 'attachedat oneendto the flange of one wall,

the flange ofthe other wall having'an arcuate longitudinally extendingslot and an arcuate longitudinally*extending series of holes, the slotforming a guide for the free -end lof the bar whereby upon the pivotalmovement of the crossbar the .free end thereof moves relative to theslot and the walls of the toe member are expanded or contracted, and atongue integral with the crossbar for engaging one of the holes andthereby holding the crossbar against such pivotalV movement. ,i l

'3. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe member vof resilient material,the walls thereof being'flanged, a crossbar pivotally attached at oneend to the fla-nge of one wall, the flange ofthe other wall having anarcuate longitudinally extending slot and an arcuate longitudinallyextending series of holes, the slot forming a guide for the free `end ofthe bar whereby upon the pivotal movement Vvof Vthe crossbar the freeend thereof moves relativerto the slot and the walls ofthe toe memberare expanded or contracted, and a tongue formed by the tip of thecrossbar for engaging one of the holes and thereby holding the crossbaragainst said pivotal movement.

4. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe member of resilient material, theWalls thereof being lianged, a crossbar pivotally attached at one end tothe flange of one Wall, the flange of the other Wall having an arcuatelongitudinally extending slot and an arcuate longitudinally extendingseries ofholes, a rivet movable in said slot to Which rivet the free endof the crossbar is attached, whereby upon the pivotal movement of theCrossbar the rivet is moved in the Slot by the free end of the bar andthe Walls of the toe member are expanded or contracted, and a tonguecarried by the crossbar for engaging one of the holes andV therebyholding the crossbar against such pivotal movement;

5. A shoe form comprising a hollow toe member of resilient material, theWalls thereof being flanged, a crossbar pivotally attached at one end tothe flange of one Wall, A

the flange'of the other Wall having an arcuate longitudinally extendingslot and an arcuate longitudinally extending series of Y holes locatedintermediate the slot and the pivoted end of the crossbar, a rivetmovable in said slot to which rivet the free end of the crossbar isattached, whereby upon the pivotal movement of the crossbar the rivet ismoved in the slot by the free end ofthe bar and the Walls of the toemember are expanded or contracted, and a tongue carried by the crossbarfor engaging one oftheholes and thereby holding the crossbar againstsuch pivotal movement.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 23rd day of October, 1929.

WILLIAM J. DE WITT.

